reply roundup, vaccine edition!
special edition reply roundup to respond to all the thoughtful things you folks had to say about my Vaccine Woes now that I’m somewhat able to put together a coherent thought again (130 hours later lol).
very wordy and contains discussions of coronavirus, vaccines, chronic illness, and ableism. I got a lot of Opinions and y’all have been very kind, no one has said a single bad word to me about it, but I still gotta give Knowledge, I’m sure you understand XD
also there were some comments on day 3 that belong in the regular roundup, hopefully this reminds me :T
and for clarification, [this tiktok] is how I feel about vaccines in general aside from the whole “I’m chronically ill and any significant change can function as a bulldozer to my fragile internal ecosystem” thing. I am strongly pro-vaccine and I know they are 100% safe for able-bodied people. I am just also not able-bodied anymore.
on [day -1]:
@a-passing-passerby said: Hey. You shouldn't get the vaccine if it's not for your best health. You should talk to your doctor about any adverse risks because of your special condition. Don't be pressured into taking the vaccine if you're immunocompromised or something similar. (No one should be forced to take a vaccine, especially if it's against your health.) And I like your drawings. I hope to see more. Funny boyo go poyo. I hope things go well for you.
no one individual was sitting me down and going “get vaccinated or I’m never speaking to you again” or anything like that, it’s just the perpetual ignorance towards the disabled and the way that makes people as a group regard “~The Unvaccinated~” as some kind of maliciously ignorant monolith who needs to be bullied into submission. and I did speak to my doctor, they of course were all for it because it reduces the risk of me getting seriously ill from exogenous viruses, even though it comes with a bunch of other risks of its own that frankly they as an individual have only a moderate grasp on at best (which is still better than their profession as a whole, tragically). and we did what we could to mitigate those other risks, even though obviously what we could do was limited and I was functioning very independently in that regard.
in order to have a viable alternative to the chronically ill having to choose the lesser of two evils for the sake of their own lives, we have to get society to like, remember we exist at all. cuz otherwise with the aggressive vaccine mandates being put in place instead of social distancing and other preventive measures, it’s either get vaccinated and make myself bed-bound for apparently at least a week in addition to the risk of anaphylaxis and/or permanent worsening of my chronic illness, or don’t get vaccinated and be even more house-bound for reasons that have nothing to do with me, possibly forever. (I, personally, was not at a very high risk of catching covid anyway, because I stay home all the time and my wife is in healthcare but strictly forbidden from seeing covid patients, meaning she’s got all the high standards of workplace sanitation and regulation without the additional exposure risk. but those of us who can’t control our own exposure risk to such a degree also have that to weigh against.)
(but thank you for being in my corner, and I’m glad you like the drawings. he will evidently keep showing up every day come hell or high water :> )
@hollow026 said: As a fellow chronically ill human, I know your pain. Getting my vaccine knocked me down for a couple days, but it does get better. I hope you find a comfy spot to cuddle up and wait it out! I wish you plenty of rest and many blankets!
I’m glad it only took you out for a couple days, and thank you <3 I got myself a heated blanket back in april which has been very nice to have. (it’s all those blues and pinks and purples I really like)
@maybeifitalk said: I'm really sorry that's all happening. I guess every time I see a vaccine mandate, I assume it excludes people for whom the vaccine would be harmful and therefore the mandate is actually in favor of those who can't get vaccinated cause herd immunity. I guess I believed more in the government's ability for nuance than they deserve 😅
most vaccine mandates have an exception for a negative PCR test within the past 72 hours, but that 1000% requires substantial advanced planning for damn near literally any activity. (my state only requires vaccines for ticketed events, which that I can at least sort of be at peace with, but my county requires vaccines for events, restaurants, museums, etc.) and I’m guessing the at-home mail-in tests aren’t going to cut it, due to the length of the turnaround, which means you have to physically go out somewhere to get tested, which can be A Massive Problem for the chronically ill. that means without getting vaccinated I’d have to plan everything at least a day in advance and heavily gamble on not running up a crippling spoon debt getting tested, and there would be no wiggle room for rescheduling.
and honestly, herd immunity was a pressure point people used for a while to get others vaccinated, but the concept at play of “the immunocompromised” or “the sick” is always some distant other sitting in a nursing home looking sad, rather than “hey if 8 of our 9 family members and our three best friends get vaccinated, and we have it outside and wear our masks when we’re not eating and sit at separate picnic tables, maybe we can have a very small wedding ceremony without killing me or my stepdad [who had cancer and also wasn’t vaccinated at the time]”
@melodiousramblings said: Your blog brings such a smile to my face all the time and I love your Kirby art. Sadly we live in an ableist society and no one takes the time to care or even consider those with chronic illnesses. I hope the vaccine doesn’t hit you too hard and take it easy! Don’t push yourself! Sending good vibes!
god it gets under my skin sometimes. and I know how easy it is to be ignorant of it! I was almost completely ignorant of it until I got sick enough to notice! but that just makes it worse! thank you for your commiseration and kind words <3
@midget-vigilante said: I’m pretty sure there are accommodations in place for those with immune disorders? Plus, there have been plenty of studies that show unless you have an allergy to one of the ingredients in the vaccine, it’a safe. It’s more dangerous to actually have COVID-19 with an autoimmune disorder than to get the vaccine. This isn’t to shame you or anything, and of course you shouldn’t listen to random people on the internet, but I hope this makes you feel better!
you’re right, actually getting covid would be worse for me than getting the vaccine. but that doesn’t mean the vaccine is just a half day of feeling a tiny bit under the weather for me like it is for abled folks. and the problem with the allergy thing is the nature of the disorder I have. my mother who probably has the same thing has a legitimate allergic reaction to the sun, which would sound super fake if I didn’t know better. a blogger I follow with the same disorder wept with joy when she got to eat a grape for the first time in many years because her illness was under control enough to reintroduce foods to her diet. this isn’t me going “oh no I’m not sure if it’s safe I heard there’s mercury in it???” this is me going “okay my body reacts very strangely and often very negatively as a basic rule. some people with my disorder go into anaphylactic shock from things they could handle fine before just because there were too many other normally-fine things pushing them up towards the threshold. this vaccine negatively impacts abled people enough that they experience distress about it, which means it’s gonna take me to the cleaners. that’s a lot for me to put on myself and this is a really garbage situation. there should be other options here and there aren’t and that sucks and I don’t want to go into anaphylaxis which is a pretty grounded concern.”
as for accommodations, there’s the negative test exception mentioned above, where I also go into why that’s not really much of a workaround for us. thank you for trying to reassure me though, I’m sure it’s important info for others out there <3
@hermitfox said: oh no, I only wish you the best! Hopefully the vaccine won't be too hard on you, that sucks. we vaccinate the healthy so that people like you are protected after all...
yeah, that is ostensibly the idea, but a lot of people’s image of “the immunocompromised” or “the ill” is grandma at the nursing home, not another 20-something at the concert. and because everyone’s mental picture is so limited and outdated, rules written to match it do a lot of harm in their own right, even when they’re meant to protect.
@zer0cracy said: Even if the work slows down or stops, we're not going anywhere. Good luck with the vaccine!
thank you <3 I know no one else is demanding I draw every day, but I am! I want me to draw every day. I don’t want to break my 1237 day streak lol
on [day of]:
@ceylonsilvergirl said: I hope it stays mild for you
@maybeifitalk said: I hope you stay more or less okay 🥺
well I didn’t go into anaphylactic shock which is technically a positive! getting to read the nice thoughtful comments people were leaving did help me feel emotionally better, thank you <3
on [day 1]:
@maybeifitalk said: 💕💕💕 I'm not sure what you need to hear rn, but what would help me is remembering that this too shall pass! It's cheesy but it helps me 🥺. I like the phrase "we'll gather lilacs in the spring again" which means just about the same thing to me UwU. But anyway, hang in there. I hope the next few days aren't terrible.
that’s a very sweet phrase, thank you for sharing it with me <3 I am the reigning regent of optimism and I know the bad times never last, but sometimes you do have to sulk a little bit I think lol
@theraphos said: Hope you are well soon!
@ceylonsilvergirl said: So sorry you’re having these reactions
@hermitfox said: D: I hope you'll get well soon! You're so strong!
@thunderjaw-bussy said: I hope things ease up for ya op, your art always brings a smile and a happy squee to my day every day <3
@writingdesaster said: get well soon!!!
thank you all <3 <3 <3 I’m not completely better yet but I went back on the extra preventative measures and I can still sit upright and put words together so I’m counting that as a win for today.
from the ask box:
anonymous said: Hey, please take it easy and don't feel pressured to even make art. The most important thing is that you take care of yourself and get better. Trying to keep doing things when you're not well is not worth it. Remember, we can wait :) You just take care of yourself!
you’re right, I have a bad habit of trying to still get stuff done even when I really shouldn’t XD I promise I only draw what I feel up to drawing though, a circle with a smile on it isn’t very taxing. thank you for the reminder and support <3
anonymous said: I'm sorry to hear all of that, I know it may not mean much, but I hope you feel better soon enough, or at least good enough for it to not be stressful for you if that makes sense. :)
that is a good way to think about it! it’s gonna take a while yet to recover back to where I was the day before the vaccine, and I’ll never not be chronically ill, but I want to be well enough that I can do the things I want without distress someday. and right now I can’t wash the dishes, but I can play little games on my ipad without hurting, and that’s still better than what it was.
@thunderjaw-bussy said: Heya I've been keeping up with what's going on with ya and I just want to say that 1) i've always adored your art (I actually have very chipper and happy song play in my head whenever I see your art of the gorb! :D) and 2) I hope your pain eases soon. Much love and good vibes to you <3
that’s so cute that the gorb gets his own little theme tune, thank you for sharing that with me and for the support <3 still incapacitated but not in pain -thumbs up emoji-
anonymous said: I give you virtual ice cream to feel better. Eat it. Or else.
I love virtual ice cream, thank you :> I hope it is the kind with bits of stuff in it. like cake or cookies. that’s the best kind.
